Giant Stride Steps Up: Our Journey as a Venture Spark Accelerator Finalist

By Jaruda Suppakarnpanich Date 05 Mar 2025

At Giant Stride, we’re on a mission to make travel seamless, inspiring, and accessible for adventurers everywhere through our innovative platform (www.giantstridetravel.com). So, you can imagine our excitement when we were named one of the 20 finalists out of 180 applicants for the Venture Spark Accelerator Cohort 1 Program! Last Friday, February 28, 2025, I attended the orientation day, and it was a huge milestone for us. I’m thrilled to share our story so far—this is a big deal for Giant Stride, and we’re pumped to show what we can do in this awesome program.

What is the Venture Spark Accelerator Program?

The Venture Spark Accelerator Cohort 1 Program, hosted by Venture Spark (venturespark.asia), is about helping Thailand’s startup community grow. It supports Thai startups by connecting them with global venture capitalists (VCs) and investors. The program’s goal is to help local businesses innovate and give them the tools and contacts they need to succeed.

It lasts 13 weeks, with weekly masterclasses and personal mentorship. Each startup gets a mentor to help with their specific problems and guide them forward. For Giant Stride, being one of the 20 chosen from 180 applicants is a great chance to improve our travel tech ideas.

The Journey to Venture Spark Accelerator

When we learned about the Venture Spark Accelerator, it seemed perfect for Giant Stride. As a travel tech startup, we’re always trying to improve our platform, reach more people, and make travel better. This program offered the help and resources we needed, so we worked hard on our application. It was a tough process—180 startups applied, and we had an interview on February 19, 2025. Before that, we spent time preparing our pitch to clearly share Giant Stride’s vision. With so many applicants, it wasn’t easy, but that made us try harder.

When we found out we made the top 20, it felt amazing. It showed that our hard work paid off and that people see value in our ideas. Being a finalist gave us new energy for the next steps. Orientation day was our first look at what’s ahead, and it felt like a strong start.

Orientation Day Experience

Orientation day on February 28, 2025, was full of ideas and connections. It brought together all 20 finalists—founders with different backgrounds and big plans. The day felt alive as we learned about the program and met the people who will guide us. We had introductions, talks about the future, and time to share thoughts with others.

Each startup had three minutes to talk about their project. Listening to the others was impressive—their ideas were new and covered many areas, all with real potential. I felt a bit small compared to their plans, but it made me more focused on Giant Stride.

In the evening, we went to a rooftop bar for networking. I talked with other founders and some mentors, and those chats were special. Every founder had their own story—of hard work and creative thinking—that brought them here. It showed how carefully Venture Spark chose this group; each startup had something unique. Their energy reminded me why we started Giant Stride—to solve real travel issues—and gave me new ideas for our platform. The mentors were great too, with lots of experience and a readiness to help. I’m eager to learn from them as we go.

The Venture Spark team led the day with excitement and knowledge, showing this program is about more than just growing—it’s about creating a group of innovators. I left feeling ready for what’s next.

Looking Ahead

As one of the 20 finalists, we’re getting ready for the next part with Venture Spark. Over the 13 weeks, we’ll join masterclasses, get mentorship, and learn from the other founders. For Giant Stride, it’s a chance to improve our travel platform, try new things, and solve our challenges with expert help. We’re looking forward to how this will help us grow.

Being a Venture Spark Accelerator finalist is something we’re proud of at Giant Stride, and we’re thankful to be here. We’ve worked hard to reach this point, and we’re curious to see where it takes us. Want to follow our journey? Visit (www.giantstridetravel.com) or check us out on social media for updates. Here’s to big steps and a bright future—stay with us!

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